Cows: More intelligent than you think!

In addition to having distinct personalities, cows are very intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time.

Animal behaviorists have found that cows interact in complex ways, developing friendships over time, sometimes holding grudges against cows who treat them badly and choosing leaders based upon intelligence. They have complex emotions as well and even have the ability to worry about the future.

Researchers have found that cows can not only figure out problems, they also enjoy the challenge and get excited when they find a solution. In one study, researchers challenged the animals with a task where they had to find how to open a door to get some food. The researchers then measured their brainwaves. Professor Broom said that ‘The brainwaves showed the cows excitement; their heartbeat went up and some even jumped into the air. We called it their Eureka moment’.

Cows can also learn how to push a lever to operate a drinking fountain when they’re thirsty or press a button with their head to release food when they’re hungry. Like humans they quickly learn to avoid things that cause pain, like electric fences. In fact if just one cow in the herd is shocked by an electric fence, the rest of the herd will learn from that and will avoid the fence in the future.

Grandmother cows often help their daughters with mothering duties, but one cow named Olivia wanted no part of that. She never left her calf’s side, and she ignored her mother’s offers to help groom him. Offended, her mother finally marched off to another field to graze with her friends and never communicated to her daughter again.

Cows can also remember and hold grudges against people who have hurt them or their family members.

Despite being this intelligent, they are treated horribly as economic commodities on dairy farms. Click here to learn more.